Las Vegas

I hadn't been to a Hard Rock anything since I was a kid. But the sleek, all-suite tower of the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas is a far cry from the burgers-and-guitars brand that once existed. Inside, the gorgeous Reliquary Spa is proof that Sin City can be as relaxing as it is stimulating. I was invited there for a complimentary treatment and was stunned by the luxurious space that awaited. Here's my report.

I'm heading to Vegas soon myself, but I'm not sure I'll have as much fun as Ashton and Demi did over the weekend! Ashton's Twitter feed lit up on Friday night as he and Demi made their way to Sin City, and it hit a high point when they played their own game of guess who before taking the stage with Snoop Dogg. It looks like the couple had quite an evening tweeting, livestreaming from his iPhone 4 (which seems to be covered in a free Incase Snap case), and dirty dancing in front of the crowd, but I was especially surprised to see that Ashton doesn't use the official Twitter app on his iPhone, instead choosing to use something called Osfoora ($3).

Are you curious to find out more about this app as well? Get the lowdown after the break.

Hold on to your frijoles, there's a new bar in Las Vegas that isn't just offering tequila on tap, but some digital entertainment as well. Called Lolita's Cantina, this bar serves up food and liqueur, an in-house DJ to spin tunes while you grub, along with go-go dancers — real and holographic — to keep the party going. That's right — holographic dancers.

The holograms, which were created using the same technology utilized by The Gorrillaz during their 2006 Grammy performance, are made up of state of the art polymers and high definition video (and apparently look amazingly lifelike). The holograms are controlled by the DJ from his booth above the cantina, and are positioned to be the centerpiece of the club at all times of day.

I'm actually taking a trip to Vegas next month — you know I'll be stopping in to see this!

Source

• Tom Colicchio's new restaurant, Colicchio and Sons, gets a glowing review. — New York Times
• Filipino adobo pork does double duty as tender topping for Asian porridge. — Boston Globe
• Michelle Obama has asked corporate food giants to step up efforts against childhood obesity. — Washington Post
• Champagne will soon come in a lighter bottle designed to cut carbon emissions. — Chicago Tribune
• Giveaways and contests are a cheaper way for chains to turn tables. — Wall Street Journal
• One Indian chef's recipes debunk myths that the cuisine is greasy, heavy, and overly spiced. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Photoessay: Scoping out the brand-new Las Vegas CityCenter restaurants. — Los Angeles Times